Cooking Potatoes: How Long and Which Type for What?

In brief

• Boiling potatoes takes 15 to 20 minutes whole, or 10 to 15 minutes when cut into pieces.
• Waxy potatoes hold their shape (salads, fried), floury ones fall apart (mashed potatoes, stews).
• Both with or without skin works: skin-on retains more vitamins and flavor, skinless cooks faster.
• Start potatoes in cold water and test with a fork: no resistance means they are done.

Boiling potatoes seems like the simplest thing, but the right type and cooking time determine whether you get a firm salad or a pot of crumbly mash. We summarize the cooking times, types, and the most useful tips.

How long should you boil potatoes?

Boiling potatoes takes 15 to 20 minutes if you leave them whole, and 10 to 15 minutes if you cut them into pieces. The smaller the pieces, the faster they cook. At the end, test a potato with a fork: if there is no resistance, they are ready.

What is the difference between waxy and floury potatoes?

Waxy potatoes hold their shape, floury ones fall apart. This difference determines what you use them for. Waxy types (like Nicola or Charlotte) are ideal for potato salad, fried potatoes, and dishes where the potato needs to stay whole. Floury types (like Bildtstar or Eigenheimer) are perfect for mash, stews, and dishes where you mash them finely.

Unsure? Choose waxy if you don’t know what you’re making. They hold up better in most dishes than floury types, which quickly become mushy.

Should you boil potatoes with or without skin?

Both are possible, depending on what you want. Keeping the skin on preserves more vitamins and minerals because less leaches into the cooking water, and the potato is less likely to fall apart. Boiling without skin is faster and easier if you plan to mash them afterwards.

Tip! If you boil with the skin on, scrub the potatoes well under running water. After cooking, the skin often peels off easily from the warm potato.

How much salt do you add to the cooking water?

Add plenty of salt once the water boils, about one tablespoon per liter. Potatoes absorb little salt during cooking, so without salt in the water they quickly taste bland. Add the salt only when the water is boiling, as it dissolves fastest then.

Do you start potatoes in cold or boiling water?

Always start potatoes in cold water and then bring them slowly to a boil. Unlike pasta, this cooks the potato evenly from outside to inside. If you put them straight into boiling water, the outside cooks while the core remains hard.

Put the potatoes in a pan, add just enough cold water to cover them, and bring it gently to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat so the water simmers gently. Use the same approach—starting in cold water—for other tubers like beets.

How do you prevent potatoes from falling apart?

Choose a waxy variety and don’t boil them too vigorously. Boiling water that bubbles too hard causes potatoes to knock against each other and break. Let the water simmer gently after it boils instead of boiling wildly. Remove them from the heat as soon as a fork slides in easily, not later.

Which pan should you use to boil potatoes?

Use a spacious pan with a thick bottom so the heat distributes evenly and the potatoes don’t burn. For a small portion, a saucepan is sufficient; for larger amounts, use a large pan where everything fits comfortably under water. Which pan is best for what, you can read in our pan guide.

Have leftover boiled potatoes? Slice them and fry them crispy the next day in a frying pan. That’s the tastiest way to use up leftovers.

How to get perfect boiled potatoes every time

Choose the right type for your dish, start them in cold water with plenty of salt, and keep the heat gentle. Waxy for firm dishes, floury for mash and stews, and always do the fork test to check doneness. This way you’ll always have potatoes that do exactly what you want.